You didn't take responsibility
by Adreamynightmare
Summary: After Rin transfers to Iwatobi everyone is so captivated by him they leave out Rei. What will become of him?
1. No one noticed

"Rei-Chan!"

Nagisa screamed with delight

"Come into the picture with us! You're part of the team too!"

Rei lifted his head to look at Nagisa; he kept his fake smile plastered on his face.

"No," He chuckled, "It was your win! You should celebrate it."

Rei started backing away until Nagisa reached out and grabbed him by his shirt collar, pulling him into the picture. Rei did his best to smile, it was too late to leave the picture again, plus Nagisa held a strong grip on his collar. Once again, Rei was forced into an image.

Several weeks after being disqualified from regionals because they had an off team swimmer who swam for two different teams, Rei became quiet. Ever since Rei allowed Rin to take his place in the butterfly swim race, Nagisa, Haru, and Makoto never really did remember Rei was there.

"Rin-Chan! Let's eat lunch together!"

Nagisa said as he ran up and grabbed Rin by the arm, just like he used to do with Rei.

"Yea Rin, it would be fun."

Both Haru and Makoto added

Rin slowly nodded his head, flustered by all the attention. The four walked out of the club door, leaving Rei behind.

Rei sat back and watched them leave, they didn't notice that he didn't swim during club meet, nor did they notice that he never changed out of his school uniform. He sat there on the bench in the corner of the room and laughed, all by himself. He continually chuckled non-stop until it became unbearable.

"When did they start leaving me behind?"

Rei whispered to himself as he stood up, scanning the empty room with his eyes. He didn't dare linger any longer, Rei ran across the room grabbed his bag and quickly left the building.

"Was it a good idea to allow Rin to replace me?"  
Rei discussed with himself

Seeing as he no longer had his friends to talk to, he could only discuss it with himself.

The more he talked to himself, the more depressed he felt. He was forcefully dragged against his will to join the Swim club, now he is no longer remembered. He was the shadow that lurked in the corner.

Constantly thinking and mumbling to himself, he heard voices gathering around him.

"Where do you guys wanna go now?"

"I don't know, where do you wanna go?"

"Ah! Let's go to the bookstore!"

"Fine."

Rei slowly turned around, which brought him face to face with his group of 'friends.'

"Rei!"

Nagisa jumped as he ran to grab Rei

"Where have you been? You don't show up for practice anymore."

Rei had a confused look drawn out on his face.

"What do you mean? I always come…I was there today!"

The smile Nagisa wore while he talked to Rei slowly faded, it started to twist into a face filled with guilt and confusion.

"Ah! Rei, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot!"

Nagisa immediately went to grab Rei's arm but he slipped away, leaving Nagisa even more confused and slightly hurt.

"Oi Rei," Rin appeared in the background behind Nagisa, bringing along the rest of the swim club, "Where've you been?"

Nagisa jumped onto Rei trying to stop him from talking, but it was to late.

Rei's face was no longer confused or angry. He was completely unresponsive as he noticed the others behind him nodding and agreeing. He moved his hands up to his face and pushed up his resilient red glasses.

"I see. No one notices me anymore."

"Rei-chan!" Nagisa continued to grab his arm before Rei could make his way past the group "Come hang out with us! We're going to go shopping and out for dinner."  
Nagisa's voice shook with anticipation and guilt.

"Take it as an apology."

Rin spoke to Rei in the background.

Rei looked at them, analyzing every way this day could possibly go wrong. There were too many to fully calculate, the hunger to be noticed again fueled Rei as he reluctantly agreed to accompany the swimmers on their day together.


	2. Forced To Laugh At Yourself

They marched their way down the streets, huddled in a little ball. A little ball that only consist of four, that's right, only four.  
Rei agreed to follow the small group in hopes that they would acknowledge him again. Talk to him again. Love him again. But it was all wishful thinking because the people that said they'd apologize to him, hang out with him, and get a gift for him, didn't even realized they had left him behind. The four had continued walking and talking among themselves while a crowd had migrated between the two. Rei was left behind, standing there in complete astonishment. Astonishment and embarrassment.

"Wow. They actually forgot about me. Again! They were suppose to be apologizing."

Rei pushed his glasses back up from the bridge of his nose and turned the opposite direction of where the group was suppose to go. There was a small welt in the back of his throat that felt as if it was getting bigger with each step.

"I'm not going to cry. Crying is not beautiful."

Instead, Rei let himself laugh at his own embarrassment, he laughed all the way back to his empty apartment. His. Empty. Apartment.

"I never realized how quiet it was in here."

Rei spoke to himself as he marched to his desk chair.

"Ah. That's right. Nagisa always used to bust into here and make all sorts of racket."

He paused for a second as he noticed a small drawing above his bedroom wall, walking closer to it, he realized it was Nagisa's signature and a drawing of a somewhat disfigured penguin. Rei's eyes became slightly foggy at the site, his heart dropping father and farther down his chest.

"He doesn't come around anymore. Nobody comes around anymore."

He crouched down and sat on his bed, withering in his loneliness. The tears were flowing freely. He wiped each one away as soon as they fell.

"If they saw me now, they would laugh so hard. Maybe I should laugh? No, I can't muster the energy."

He took of his glasses and went to go change into his pajamas. He wasn't going anywhere so there was no point in keeping on outside clothes. Rei left his bathroom and silently walked to his bed, laying himself down slowly.

"I never thought that silence would be so disruptive."

Rei check the time before falling asleep.

_**7:43**_


	3. Lets Play A Game

Rei woke up at the blaring sound of his alarm and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He sat there, pondering whether he should get up now or curl up in the warmth once more. Finally deciding to stand up; his bare toes made contact with the cold wood floor beneath him, ripples shot up his spine, tingling until it reached the tips of his fingers.

"Tch."

Rei clucked his teeth, rushing onto his rug and then springing into his bathroom.

Why did everyday feel the same? He had colors spread all over his walls. Purple. Green. Blue. White. Yet everything felt gray.

After heading out the bathroom, his phone rang its little nostalgic tune.

"Hello?"

He picked up the phone, putting the receiver to his ear.

"Ah! Rei-chan! Its Nagisa, where did you go yesterday?"

Where did he go yesterday? Ah that's right,

"I went home."

And why did he do that?

"Because you guys ditched me."

The other end was dead silent. Nagisa didn't reply, at a loss for words. Rei could hear the steady breathing.

"Huh? Rei-chan, we never ditched you, we turned around and you weren't there."

They didn't ditch him?

"Really? I remember us walking, and then this mob coming by, and you guys weren't there anymore. And you chose to call me now, instead of the moment you found out I was gone."

He was rather annoyed, what if he had been kidnapped. Everyday he spent with them just made him feel more like he was just a filler in for Rin. They didn't really need him, he was exactly that, a filler in for Rin. He couldn't even swim butterfly correctly. Rin was so much better, they were all so much closer, he was just in the team cause they needed a fifth member. But now they have six.

"Neh Rei, you're being a little over dramatic."

This time it wasn't Nagisa, Rin appeared on the phone.

Rin was with Nagisa, actually, they're probably all together.

Rin

Nagisa

Makoto

Haru

All of them together again. Just like old times.

But old times didn't consist of Rei.

"Tch."

He was getting irritated.

How can Rin tell him how he is acting, he didn't have to put up with it. He didn't have to do anything. Its not like, if he quit the swimming team that it would effect him negatively. He still has track.

He had nothing left to say, there was nothing to say.

Rei changed his clothes and left for school.

* * *

"I don't think they'll notice that I'm not there anymore."

Rei spoke his words quickly

Mrs. Ama sat in her chair bewildered.

"Why would you want to leave?"

Her eyes grew a sense of worry but also sense of curiosity.

Why did he want to leave?

They weren't really his friends anymore. He couldn't recall the last time they had a normal conversation.

They don't invite him to things anymore, mostly because they don't even remember he existed.

They're not even ignoring him anymore, its like they totally forgot he was there. They forgot every moment he stood next to them.

He was simply replaced.

That's why he wanted to leave.

"There isn't a reason for me to stay, oh, Ama-chan, will you ask if the track coach will take me back."

He walked slowly to the door.

"Oh, and don't tell the others."

She looked up at him confused. I mean, why couldn't she tell the others?

"I want to see how long it takes them to notice."

How long it will take them to notice he is gone.

How long it will take them to notice he isn't coming back.

How long it will take them to notice that they really did ditch him.

How long it will take them to notice every single time they accidentally forgot about him and locked him in the pool room.

To be honest. That was kinda funny. He stood in the room laughing for a bit before he actually tried to get out.

It was like a game. Though, it was a cruel one, mostly for the game master, it was a game, and it was fun.

Its just.

The pieces.

The pieces.

The pieces don't know they're playing.

* * *

Rei didn't see them the whole day, he didn't see Nagisa on the train home, he didn't receive a call or a text.

It seems like this is going to be one hell of a long ass game.


End file.
